


when everything is over. (さよなら)

by ryoseirui



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Canon Universe, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Spoilers for episode 22
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 09:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16889664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryoseirui/pseuds/ryoseirui
Summary: Ash's thoughts when Eiji is teaching him Japanese. Set in episode 22, written in Ash's POV.Fluff because he's in love. Angst because we know what will happen right after.





	when everything is over. (さよなら)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in 40 minutes... screams. This episode killed me, like I knew it was going to happen but did MAPPA really have to include the "sayonara"? Like that shit hurted.

"What's this?" I ask as Eiji finishes scribbling on the paper. I look down on the paper, Eiji's handwriting neat and small.  

"The basic greetings," he answers, a slight inflection of excitement in his voice. As if he's saying _'these are the things you'll say a lot once I take you back to Japan with me! When everything is over'_.

When everything is over, huh... 

"This one means _'nice to meet you'_."

I perk up. I asked Ibe to teach me a little bit of Japanese before. Things I could say to impress Eiji, things I can say when everything is over. 

"Oh, I know how to say that much," I reply, smirking. I bet Eiji'll be surprised that I already know it. I scratch the back of my head to look like it's nothing, that I didn't practice just for this moment, and for all the moments we'll be in Japan.

" _'How are you'_ is _'mokari makka'_ , and _'fine, thank you'_ is _'bochibochi denna'_ right?" I hold up my right hand, my thumb and pointer finger making a circle as the other three fingers are stretched out. It means _'fine, thank you'_ here, and I hope it conveys the same meaning in Japan.

"W-who taught you those phrases?" Eiji stutters, sounding surprised. He definitely didn't expect this.

"Ibe- _san_ ," I reveal to him, using the same honorific he always uses for Ibe. Maybe the little things I've picked up from Eiji's speech the time he's been here will help me a lot when I get back to Japan.

I think back to when we were in the apartment. Sometimes he would say things in Japanese, I wonder what he was saying then? I'm sure if I think hard enough I'll remember the phrases. I'll ask him another time about those. 

Eiji sighs, and tells me that it's a greeting that is only really used in Osaka, different from Tokyo and Izumo. I pout playfully, but Eiji softly tells me that he'll teach me the Tokyo dialect so that I can use it everywhere we go.

When everything is over.

" _'Good morning'_ is _'ohayou gozaimasu'_ ," he says brightly.

When he speaks Japanese, it just sounds so smooth, rolling off his tongue. I wonder if some day, I'll reach that level. But for now, I have to start somewhere. "O... hayo... Go... zai... masu..." I try to mimic him as closely as I can. The way words are formed in Japanese is completely different from English. It'll be hard, but I'm sure if I practice the syllables enough, it'll sound better and better. And the more I say it. The more I say it...

Waking up with Eiji every morning, and telling him _'ohayou gozaimasu'_...

He continues to tell me how to say the standard _'hello'_ , which you hear mostly in the afternoon. He tells me that like English, greeting change depending on the time of day. There's a greeting for morning, afternoon, and evening.

The way he looks so excited teaching me Japanese... His eyes are already bright, but they shine as they look at me, always asking if I understand, if I'm ready for the next phrase. His soft smile on his face when I say something right... The equally as soft voice as he compliments me after each attempt.

I want to learn more.

I want to learn Japanese, to go to Japan, to be with Eiji.

"Okay, and here's how you say goodbye. _'Sa-yo-u-na-ra'_ ," Eiji sounds out for me as he holds up the sheet of paper. His finger is next to the _'さようなら'_ he wrote, implying that that's how to write ' _goodbye'_ in the Japanese script.

It's the one thing I never want to say to Eiji. I told him that right now is fine... but he told me forever.

Forever. 

When everything is over.

I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Eiji.

I hope one day, I can say that to you in Japanese.

No goodbyes for us.

I repeat after him. " _Sa-yo-na-ra._ "

**Author's Note:**

> As always, you can find me on Twitter at @_ryoseirui_!


End file.
